#RallyKid Cole's Fundraiser

Rally Kid Cole's Story

In November 2023, Cole had lab work done at our request after noticing a significant change in Cole’s weight and stamina. November 21, 2023, I got a call at work from Matthew. The pediatrician had called him and told him to get Cole to the Emergency Room immediately. I can’t tell you anything that happened over the next hour with any clarity. I know I called the doctor myself as I walked out of work without a word to anyone. I called our sitter to find out where she was with the kids and I remember walking in to the library and picking up Cole. Hugging the other kids and rushing out with tears streaming to the ER to meet Matthew. Labs were repeated, a chest X-ray was taken and as soon as I saw an unfamiliar face come into our ER bay and sit down on the end of Cole’s bed, my heart sank. Matthew and I sat, hand in hand, and listened as Dr. Schwartz explain to us that Cole has cancer. Not only did he have cancer, but he had an extremely large mass on his chest that was at risk of crushing his airway and heart vessels at any time with its rate of growth. I knew what Leukemia meant. I knew that meant cancer. Watching the light go out of my husbands’ eyes as he too realized after a few minutes that Leukemia meant cancer is a feeling of despair I will never forget. We were immediately transferred to Shands in Gainesville, Florida to the Pediatric ICU where we remained for the next 31 days. Cole’s diagnosis is T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. His course has been complicated by a complex mediastinal mass, moderate pericardial effusion and he lost the ability to walk for a period of time. He has undergone dozens of lumbar punctures, an unexpected thrombectomy for a blood clot in his heart, months of daily injections, chemotherapy infusions, hospital stays, and more lab draws than we can count. Cole remains in remission and has made exceptional strides towards recovery. While we still have another year of chemo, pending no relapses or setbacks, we are hopeful for the first time in a long time.

By buying a shirt, you are directly supporting childhood cancer research through the Rally Foundation. Every day, 47 children are diagnosed with cancer—a heartbreaking statistic that drives our mission forward. Your purchase will contribute to the ongoing efforts to develop better treatments with fewer long-term side effects, and ultimately, find a cure. Stand with us in this critical cause and help bring hope to children and families battling cancer—so that one day, no child has to face this fight.